SPRING WHEAT IN THE GREAT PLAINS AREA. 25 



production of wheat at a loss ranging from 30 cents on listed land 

 to $7.17 an acre on green manure. Generally speaking, the more 

 expensive the method of preparation the greater the yield. But the 

 yields did not increase in the same ratio as the expense; it accord- 

 ingly follows that the less the expense of preparation the less the loss 

 that attended the use of any method. 



SCOTTSBLUFF FIELD STATION. 



The work at Scottsbluff, Nebr., is conducted at a field station 

 located on the North Platte Reclamation Project. The soil is a com- 

 paratively light, sandy loam. At a depth varying from 5 to 8 feet 

 there is a sharp break from this soil to either sand or Brule clay. 

 Above this point the soil offers no unusual resistance to the downward 

 passage of water or the development of roots. Owing to its light 

 character, however, it is possible to store in it only a moderate pro- 

 portion of available water. While the evidence on this point is not 

 yet complete, the amount of water that can be stored in this soil is 

 known to be somewhat intermediate between the corresponding 

 amounts that can be stored in the Belle Fourche and North Platte 

 soils. 



The results of three years are available for study at this station. 

 All have been years of comparatively fight yields, but one of them 

 shows heavy production from one method. 



Spring plowing has b^en generally better than fall, irrespective of 

 whether it were wheat, oat, or corn stubble that was plowed. Marked 

 benefit was apparently derived one year from the use of manure in 

 growing the corn that preceded one plat of wheat. 



Furrowing with a lister and leaving the ground rough through the 

 winter instead of plowing was apparently beneficial one year, but of 

 neutral value in the others. 



Disked corn ground was the second best method in one year, but it 

 seemed to be of little benefit in increasing production in the other 

 two years. Disked corn ground has each year given larger returns 

 of wheat than were obtained by plowing it either in spring or fall. 



The results from green manure are not consistent either among 

 themselves or in comparison with other methods. In average pro- 

 duction it stands third on the fist, being exceeded by summer tillage 

 and disked corn ground. 



The highest yields each year have been obtained from summer 

 tillage. This method has an average yield of 19.9 bushels per acre 

 as against 14 bushels, the next highest average, from disked corn 

 ground. 



